There is no *need*, but it's a matter of convenience. You get in the car, put your hands on the wheel, shift to D, and go. Or you stop, press the button to P, and get out. What is the advantage of having the shifter between the seats (a purely mechanical design decision)?

 

It doesn't look like you're driving an 80s buick?

 

For those of us who love to manually shift and especially downshift instead of braking, the shifter in the center is more natural. The paddle shifters on the steering wheel are fine but not as convenient, especially when you want to shift with the steering wheel turned halfway. Hard to find those paddle shifters when the steering wheel is upside down!

By the way, in my opinion the Mercedes manual shifting (with an automatic transmission) is the best out there. If you push the shifter to the left for 1 second (or hold the "-" paddle for 1 second), the car automatically finds the perfect downshift gear. And if you push the shifter to the right for 1 second (or hold the "+" paddle for 1 second), the car goes back to automatic mode which is convenient. I like this system more than any other car I have driven. A lot more logical than the BMW or Audi, for example, where you have to move the shifter to the left and then push it forward and backward in order to manually shift.

 

Your powers of perception are frightening ;-)

I used to drive a 1995 Ford Taurus back in college; loved the wheel-mounted gearshift.

 

On a Benz Luxury Sedan, I actually like the stalk shifter, as it's appropriate to the car, and unique to it as well, It adds to a nicer interior ambiance and sense of occasion IMO. On lots of other cars, I wouldn't like it or find it appropriate though.

As for that interior, that is a TOTAL cover-up, lol. That thing looks like an 80's Firebird. I'm not a fan of an LCD "wannabee speedo" either. I don't get the idea (obviously just a marketing aspect to make the car appear more "high tech" and further justify a higher price tag). How can an LCD imitation that's meant to look like a real speedo, and one that's simply imitating a real speedo, in any way look superior to a real, bonafide speedo? Not to mention, it's adding a potential expensive problem down the road.

 

100% Agree with you.

 

This for me is the greatest advance in interior/instrument panel design... have preset "legacy" gauges, so it can look like a W140 or even a W126! Imagine the incentive to upgrade - the car looks the same but has all the new fun toys! Or allowing you to customize it into "YOUR" Benz. I can't wait!

 

Vlad, don't be bummed by the shifter by the steering wheel.
I find that when reversing you don't have to take your hands off the wheel which is nice if you think about it.
Plus for downshifting you can use the steering wheel paddles.
If you really want to do that shifting thing, then get a Porsche with a manual stick.

 

exactly!